Ignition system for gas burners



March 14, 1933. MAU ER 1,901,251

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR GAS BURNERS Filed Oct. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 avera e 7' ware? March 14, 1933. R. H. MAURER IGNITION SYSTEM FOR GAS BURNERS Filed 001:. 14, 1929 -opened, a proper flow of gas to the pilot Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mums 11. minimize, or enooxrmn, mssacnusn'r'rs, assmnon 11o srnncna armo- STAT comrm, or cmmnen, mssacnusmrs, A coarona'non or mssacnu- BETTS IGNITION SYSTEM FOR GAS B UBNERS Application filed October 14, 1929. Serial No. 399,657.

This invention relates to ignition systems for gas burners and the like, and particularly to systems in which a pilot light serves to ignite any one or more of the burners of a gas range. In such ignition systems a centrally located pilot burner is used in connection with a casing having outwardly extending tubular arms, each arm communicating with a burner. As long as the pilot is maintained, the. mere opening of any or more of the gas valves on the range will allow gas from the correspondin burner to go through the pipe to the pi ot flame to ignite the gas burner. Various means of attaching the provided so t at when the gas valve is flame will result.

In such systems, however, from the point of view of safet the gas burner should ignite upon the s 'ghtest appreciable flow of gas therefrom. It may often happen insuch a case that the ensuing pufi or explosion throu h the pipe between the burner and pilot ame would ignite the burner but blow out the ilot flame. In such a case it is doubtful i the pilot flame will be reignited fromthe burner flame. Since such pilot flames are enclosed in thepilot light.

casing, such occurrence may easily escape the observation of any person and result in a slow and steady leakage of gas into the house.

My invention contemplatesthe elimina-' tion of such danger by providing within the ilot light caslng, a safety pilot. .Such a p' ot has a thermostatic valve so arranged as to shut off the flow ofga's to the pilot burner upon the extinguishment of the pilot flame. I preferably disposethe pilot valve in such a portion of the gas line that upon closure of the valve, the entire' gas supply for the range is cut off.. In connection wlth such a pilot valve, I provide means for bypassing a. supply of gas which by burning will cause the thermostatic valve to be opened and will at the same time ignite the pilot flame. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the as tubes to the burners are a series of tubular pipes 22, 23,

elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and the scope'of the application of which will be indicated showing various methods of supporting the spreader arm upon the. gas burners.

S1m1lar reference characters mdicate corresponding parts throughout the several-7 views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a gas range having main burners 1, 2, 3,

4 and oven burner 5. It is evident that as many burners may be provided as are desirable. Each of the burners is controlled by agas valve leading from a manifold 36 in the customary manner.

Centrally disposed of the burners is a top 8 of a pilot light casing 9 of sheet metal or the like, havinga plurality of apertures cut out therein. This pilot light casing 9 preferably has a bottom wall 10 having a plurality of apertures 11, and a central aperture 12'for. the pilot frame. Supported on the shoulder within casing 9 is a member 15 having a generally frusto-oonical shape and havin an aperture 16 at the center. Branc ing out from the casing are a plurality of arms 17 18 19, 20 and 21. Each of these arms is tubular in shape and carries 24, '25 and 26, going to various burners. T ese pipes may be supported in the arms in any suitable manner such as by set screws. The ends of the arms may be supported in .9

any desirable manner, by thegas burner. In Figure 3, arm 22 is shown 'as projecting into a .lug 28 integral with burner 1. In Figure 4, arm '22 is provided with a projection 29 engaging an arm 30 extendingfrom at a pre burner 1. In'Figure 5 a lug 31 similar to lug 28 of Figure 3 but not completely circular, supports the end of arm 22. In each one of these cases the burner is preferably provided with an outlet 32 at the side of the urner for allowing gas to flow into the pipe. The amount of gas flowing in is sufiicient to ignite the burner.

The gas supply for the entire range with the exception of the pilot burner itself, comes from a pipe 35 which supplies a manifold 36. Pipe 35 is connected on the outlet side of a safety pilot 37, while a gas supply pipe 48 is connected to the intake side of the safety pilot. Safety pilot 37 comprises two chambers 38 and 39 separated. by partition 40 having a valve seat therein. The valve seat is adapted to cooperate with a valve 41 mounted upon a stem 42, and suitably connected to a thermostatic disk 43. This disk is preferably a cupped bimetallic disk more fully disclosed in Patent 1,448,- 240, granted March 3, 1923. Disk 43 has its periphery suitably maintained by a casing 44 which supports a pilot burner tip 45. This pilot burner tip may be of well known construction and derives its gas from within casing 44. Bimetallic disk 43 is provided with a plurality of apertures for the passage of as therethrough.

he bimetallic disk 43 has the property of changing shape with extreme suddenness etermined temperature. As shown, the safety pilot is in a closed position with the valve cutting off the gas supply. Upon the application of heat to the bimetallic disk, the disk will snap to its other curved position and open the valve. While there is a pilot flame the heat ofthe flame keeps the tip sufficiently hot so that the latter kee s the casing 44 and bimetallic disk 43 sufliciently hot to maintain the bimetallic disk in its hot position, namely, with the gas valve opened. Since the bimetallic disk will maintain whichever fposition. it is in for a substantial portion 0 the temperature range between the two actuating temperatures, it is evident that once the disk is in the open position, onl a small amount of heat suffices to keep it in that position.

In order to light the-pilot for the first time, a small burner 53 shown in Figure 1, of any construction, is disposed very close to pilot light casing 9. This burner is preferably disposed so that the flame therefrom will impinge upon casing 44 of the safety pilot. In order to supply burner 53 with gas, it is connected by pipe 52' through a spring 'valve' 55 to the gas supply system. A pipe 57 branching off the safety pilot on the intake side may provide a suitable source of .gas for burner 53. In, order to ignite burner 53, valve 55 which may be a spring valve adapted to close upon removal of the operators finger, is opened and aflame applied at burner 53. The gas flame issuing from burner 53 is suflicient to heat casing 44 within a short time and cause disk 43 to snap. As soon as the safety pilot is snapped open, gas issues from the pilot tip and is immediately ignited by burner 53. Valve 55 may thereupon be released to cut off the supply of gas to 53. a

In order to ignite any of the burners communicating with the pilot flame, it is only necessary to. open the gas valve controlling the burner.

As shown, pilot light casing 9 and the tubes branching out therefrom to the burners form on integral structure adapted to be supported by the burners. The pilot burner is adapted to maintain a flame within the casing 9 due to the various apertures in the pilot light casing and a suitable draft is generated so that pro er combustion of gas coming along any '0 the branch tubes is accomplishe The ilot burner with its thermostatically controlled valve is preferably distinct from the pilot light casing, the reason being that when the main burners are in operation, the spreader arms from the pilot light casin to the burners become-hot and might ten to heat the thermostatically controlled valve.

In such an event it is possible that all the flames might be extin ished with gas escaping and the sprea er arm structure so hot as to maintain the thermostatic valve in open position until the entire mass of metal cools. It is'clear that by separatin the casing from the burner, no transfer 0 heat can take place between the two with the result that the thermostatically controlled valve will control the entire gas supply for all the main burners only in accordance with the condition of the pilot flame.

It is clear that by my invention the dauger of esca ing gas is avoided, irrespective of the con ition of the valves on the gas range and irrespective of'the condition of the gas burners, unless there is a pilot flame, inasmuch as theentire gas supply for the gas range is cut off.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it

is intended that all matter contained in. the

pilot hght casing rigid, removable structure normally supported by said burners, a pilot burner separate from said pilot li ht casing and unattached thereto, said p' ot burner being-constructed and arranged to maintain a flame within said casing, and a thermostatically controlled valve controlling the gas supply of all said burners in accordancewith the condition of the pilot burner.

2. In combination, a gas range having a plurality of burners, a ilot hght casing, tubes branching from sai pilot light casing to each of said burners, said pilot light casing and said tubes forming an integrated, rigid, removable structure normally supported by said burners, a pilot burner separate from said pilot light casing and unattached thereto, said pilot burner being constructed and arranged to maintain a flame within said casing, a thermostatically controlled valve controlling the gas supply of all of said burners in accordance with the condition of the pilot burner, and an additional burner controlled independently of the condition of the ilot burner and constructed and arran to direct aflame to heat said thermostatically controlled valve and ignite saidpilot burner. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this cation.

- RUFUS H. MAUBEB. 

